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Where can you eat good khinkali in Georgia, and how do you eat them?

How to spot good khinkali and why you leave the knot.

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Short answer

Khinkali are eaten by hand: hold the knot, bite into the side, drink the broth and only then eat the dough and filling, leaving the knot on the plate. The best khinkali are made in specialist khinkali houses where they are folded on the spot; the dish comes from the mountain areas of Pshavi, Khevsureti and Tusheti. Khinkali usually cost 1-2 GEL each.

Khinkali in Batumi: where locals eat faq-cover-food-and-restaurants.png

Why

  1. There is hot broth inside, so you drink it first to avoid spilling it.
  2. The knot is dense, so it is left, and counting knots shows how many you ate.
  3. Classic khinkali are made with beef and pork, herbs and pepper; there are also cheese, mushroom and potato versions.

Details

Khinkali are eaten hot, as soon as they arrive, often sprinkled with black pepper. They are ordered by the piece, usually five or more per person.

Tip

Order at least 5 khinkali per person; they're made to order, so get the right number up front.

What may differ

Each Georgian region has its own versions of dishes, so the same dish can taste quite different.

Common misconception

Khinkali are eaten with a knife and fork.

What actually happens

In Georgia they are eaten by hand, which keeps the broth inside until you drink it.

People also ask

  • How do you eat khinkali?

Dish names and recipes vary across Georgia's regions; the most common versions are given here.

Khinkali in Batumi: where locals eat

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